COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 89, 14 April 1917, Page 4

COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL

(UNITJB PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.). A(ADSIRAUIH-NBW ZEALAND CABLH .ASSOCIATION.)

BASIC OF ENGLAND RETURN.

LONDON, 12th April. The Bank of England return issued for the week, ended Wednesday, 11th April, is as under:—

Coin, £52,855,000 (£52,640,000);. reserve, £34,750,000 (£34,240,000); note circulation, £36,031,000 (£38,901,000): . public deposits, I £49,392,000 (£50,124,000); other deposits, £128,063,000 (£128,968,000); Government securities, £37,596,000 (£39,245,000); other securities, £123,624,000. (£123,308,000); proportion of reserve to liabilities, 10.49 (19.12). Bank rate. 5J per cent. (51 per cent.); short ! loans, 4J per cent. (4J per. cent.); three months bills, 4J per cent. (41 per cent.). GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The following are the latest quotations for ' Government ■ securities in comparison with those ruling last week:— ' 2£ per cent. .Imperial Consols, £55 (£55 2s Od); 5 per cent. Imperial War Loan, £94 [ 10sV(£94 10s); ii per cent. Imperial War Loan, £95 (£95); 3J per cent. Imperial War Loan, £86 10s (£86); 4 per cent. New Zealand, £83 15s (£B3 ss); 31 per cent. New Zealand, £71 17s Od (£7l Es); 3 per cent. New Zealand,, £62 15s (£62 15s); 4 per cent. New South Wales, £81 2s Cd (£81); 3-i per cent. New South Wales,- £97 5s (£07); 3i per cent. New South Wales, 1930-50, £68 12s fid (£6B 12s 6d); 3 per cent. New South Wales, £69 10s (£69 7s 6d);. 4! per' cent.Victoria, £98 15s (£O4 10s); 3J per cent. Victoria, £85 (£84); 3i per cent. Victoria, 1920-49, £68 10s (£67 10s); 3 per cent. Victoria, £61 10s (£6l ss); 3J per cent. South Australia,- £71 (£71); 3 per cent. South Australia, £56 12s (£56 12s); 4 per cent. Queensland, £90 (£BO 7s Od); 3| per cent. Queensland, £86 7s 6d (£B6 7s 6d); 3 per cent. Queensland, £61 5s (£6l 6s); 31 per cent. West Australia, £73 5s (£73 ss); 3 per cent. West Australia. £67 15s (£68); 3J per cent. Tasmania, .£72 (£7l ss); 3 per cent. Tasmania, £fi4 (£64 10s). . <<

COMMERCIAL CABLES.

LONDON, 12th April. Wheat U nominally firm. Flour prices are fully maintained,. Australian flour is scarce; 70s is quoted for lots ex granary. Oats, beans, and peas-^ontinue to-advances No colonial sorts are being offered.

PRICES OF METALS.

Copper.—Standard, cast, spot, £136 5s perton; forward, £139 15s. Electrolytic copper, £140.

' Tin.—Straits, spot, £216 12s 6d; three months, £216 17s 6d per ton.

Lead.—Soft foreign, spot, £30 10s per ton forward, £29 10s.

Spelter—Ordinary brands, spot, £55 per ton; forward, £52. ■ . '

Silver.—Standard, 36|d per. ounce; fine, SB 9-16 d per ounce.

CHRISTCHURCH MARKETS.

CHRISTCHURCH, 13th April.

The scarcity of wheat offerings still continues, and one of the reasons apparently is that the quality threshed so far this season is much less than last year. The total quantity of wheat returned as threshed up to the 16th March, 1916, was 2,386,226 bushels, whereas to ,19th March this year, only 1,320,060 bushels was retnrned. Of this amount 1,000,046 bushels was threshed in Canterbury, and some threshing is now being done, but, even considering the smaller area of crop this year, it is evident that there is still a large quantity of wheat in stock.

i For oats, • the market is dull, and prices; are below those recorded prior ,to the holidays. Large quantities' of Australian and Tasmanian oats have arrived, or are due at Auckland and Wellington, which have cut Sontb Island oats out of the market. Southland oats are offering at Bluff at 3s 6d in sacks, but the crop is much below the averago in quality, and most of the oats are discoloured. , In view of the compeitibn there is at present but a limited outlet for Canterbury oats. Algerians have maintained their value better-than other varieties, and are worth 3s 6d to 3s 7d at country stations, while 3s 3d to 3s 4d is offered for Gartons and Duns. There is very little demand for oatsheaf chaff, and much of that offering is very light. : The' potato market is without change, £4 still being paid at country stations. There is a fair demand, and it is stated the main crop is turning out very well. The demand for onions is not very active, the price offered being £6 10s to £6. A large quantity of Victorian onions is leaving Melbourne' for Wellington.